Indicator



B. L. SKINNER.

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-18, I919.

Patented Sept. 6,1921.

if if WlaLfi/iimwr 2 42 w, W 7 (Mia/;

UNITED. S A ES "PATENT OFFICE,

' anmn L SKINNER, orsAc taMENTo, CAIiIFO3NIA.

. To concern: I

Be it known that I, RALP L SKINNER, a citizen of, the United States,-and a resident of Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento. and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements ,inIndicators, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to indicators and has particular referenceto thatclass of indicatorsadapted to be, used in connection 'with internalcombustion engines for indicating whether or not ,the "engine is firingproperly and ,for advising an observer as to whether or not the engineis ;-functioning properly in other articulars.

1 it An important 0 ject of the invention is to providein an indicatorof the above men-t.

tioned"character a means whereby both au- I dible and visibleoperable-means may be ac;

tuated when ac linder of an internal com- :;bustionengine v ails' 'tofireitoannounce to the observer the failure of proper firing.

*A-further object of'the invention is =to' provide in an indicator ofthea'bove mentioned character ameans whereby both audible and visibleoperable Imeans may be actuated when either an intake or exhaust valvefails to operate properly.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide in a device of the above'IIIGIliLlOIlGd :character a means whereby the severalcooperatingelements of the signaling mecha fnis'm may be accurately andeifectively op-' erated regardless of whetheror not theengine is runningat; full speedor at an ex- I 2 ,tremely low speed.

A further object of the invention isto' provide in a device of theabovementioned charactera means whereby the audible signal may be renderedinoperative without affecting: in any particular, the operation of thevisiblesignal. I v

A further object, oft-the invention is to Y provide in a device oftheabove mentioned I character ameans whereby the: device as a wholemay-be renderedparticularlyadapted to use in connection with automobileen-' gines and to further so arrange the. signals that the visiblesignal may be within sight, at all times,"ofthje operator and to.arrange A the audible signal so that it may atall times be'withinhearingof the operator. Other objects and advantages of the 1nvention willbeapparent during the course of the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings.

mmca'roa;

Speci flcation of Letters Patent; Pate t d S t 6 1921 Application filedSeptember, 18;, 1919. 'Serial No. 324,424. r

In the drawings, forming a part, of this specification and wherein likenumerals are the same,

Figure l is an" assembled view of the employed to designate likepartsfthroughout device embodying my invention, certain ele:

ments thereof being shown in section,

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of an indi cator hand, and, I I Flg. 3' isa sectional view showing the indicator hand mounted upon an arbor.

In the drawings, wherein forthe purpose of illustration is shown apreferred form of my invention, the numerals 5, and 6 indi-. caterespectively the exhaust and intake manifolds adapted to be connectedwith any conventional type of internal combustion indicated as awhole bythe numeral 12,

which casing comprises an intermediate cy lindrical section 13 having adivisional wall preferably formed integral therein as shown at 14. Theintermediate section 13 is at each end provided with. internalscrewthreads as shownat 15 adapted to retain in position upon theintermediate section the end closures 16, the closures 16 forming withthe divisional wall 14 chambers 17 and 18witl1- in which are arrangedvibratory diaphragms indicated respectively bythe numerals 19 and 20,thediaphragms 19 and-20 dividingthe chambers 17 and 18 respectivelyinto. chambers 17* 17", 18 and J 18". The diaphragms 19 and 20areprovided with bleed trally disposed contact points 22 adapted tocooperate with adjustable'thumb-s'crews 23 carried by the closures-16and suitably fin material as shown at 24. Upon the insulatingmaterial-24 there is arranged 'a pair of metallic terminals each being;indicated by the numerals 25 and 26. The terminal 25 is 'sulatedtherefrom by means of insulating connected to a. suitablesource ofelectrical,

energy as shown at E by means of aconductor 27 having a manuallyoperated switch interposed therein as shown at 28. The source ofelectrical energy, which may be in the form. of a. battery, a dynamo ormagneto, etc, is connected by means of a conductor 29 to a pair ofelectro-magnets 30 carried within acasing 31 to which is secured a horn32. The electro-magnets are arranged to oscillate an armature 33 whichin turn is connected to a. vibratory diaphragm 34 by means of a link 35,the diaphragm' 34 being arranged in proximity to the opening'ot the horn32-. The armature 3-3 is provided with a contact point 36 adapted tocooperate with an adjustable contact 37 when the armature 33 is movedunder the influence of a suitable spring as shown at 38 to complete theelectric circuit through the electro-magnets 30 and a conductor 39connected at one end to the adjustable contact 37 and at its other endto the closure 16 as shown at 40. The terminal 26 is likewise connectedto the electro-magnets 30 by means of a'suitable conductor 41 which inturn is connected to conductor 27, the conductor 41 having a suitablemanually operated switch interposed therein as shown at 42.

To each of the closures 16 there is connected a tube 42, the tubes 42being arranged tocommunicate with the chambers 17 and 18. The tubes 42are each connected to bypasses 43 communicating with chambers 17 and 18,the bypasses 43 serving as a means to facilitate the equalization ofpressure on each side of the diaphragms 19 and 20 as will hereinatter bemore fully described. The'tubes 42 are each connected to a pressure pipe44 which is adapted to communicate either of the chambers 17 or 18 withan indicator shown at 45. the pressure pipe 44 having a suitable valvedisposed therein as shown at 46 by which communication may beestablished or severed between the pipe 44 and either of the chambers 17or 18.

The indicator 45 comprises a casing 46 havinga graduated scale 47indicating pounds pressure and a second indicator scale 48 indicatingpressure in the terms of inches. The indicator is further provided withan arcuate shaped hollow resilient tube 49 communicating with thepressure pipe 44 and having its closed end connected to a 'link 50 whichin turn is connected to an arm 51 which arm is provided at its end witha rack 52 adapted to suitably engage a spindle 53 to which is secured anindicator hand 54,

. the indicator hand being moved in either a clockwise orcounterclockwise direction depending upon the degree of pressure withinthe pressure pipe 44 which will hereinafter he more fully described. Tothe face of the indicator 45 is secured a boss 54' within which thespindle 53 is journaled as most clearly shown in Fig. 3. Upon the boss54 there is suitably journale-d a second indicator hand 55 preferably ofa contrasting color to that of the indicator hand 54. The indi- .catorhand 55 is so journaled upon the boss 54 as to be capable of being movedunder certain conditions independently of the indicator hand 54 and isprovided at one side with a lug 56 and at its opposite side with an arm57 carrying a lug 58, the lugs 56 and 58 being adapted to engageopposite sides of the indicator hand 54 when it is being movedrespectively in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction under theinfluence of the increase or decrease pressure within the pressure pipe44. It is to be understood that acertain amount of friction existsbetween the boss 54 and the hand the friction being sutficicnt-to retainthe hand in a given assumed posi tion until it is again moved by thehand 54 into contact with either of the lugs 56 or 58.

In use, the operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that theengine is running at a normal speed and that the several cylindersthereof are firing in their proper successive order, by turning thevalve 9 carried by the pipe 7 to communicate the exhaust manifold 5 withthe chamber 17 and by turning the valve 46 to communicate the chamber 17with the pressure pipe 44, a pressure is built up within the chamber 17and within the pipe 44, whlch pressure is communicated to the indicator45, causing the hand 54 to move from zero in a clock wise directioncarrying with it the hand 55, the hands 54 and 55 assuming a positioncorresponding, of course, to the pressure within the pressure pipe 44.\Vhen pressure is communicated to the chamber from the exhaust manifold5 the pressure on each side of the diaphragm 9 is equalized through thebypass 43 communicating with the chamber 17 and the bleed port- 21, thecontact point 22 carried by the diaphragm 19 being retained normallyspaced from the end of its corresponding cooperative thumb-screw 23.Should a miss in the successive fire of the cylinders occur the pressurewithin the chamber 17 at one side of the diaphragm 19 is materiallydecreased whereupon the excessive pressure upon the opposite side of thediaphragm- 19 moves the diaphragm to such a position as to bring thecontact 22 carried thereby into engagement with the end of itscooperative thumb-screw 23 there by completing the circuit through theelectro-magnet-s 30, causing an oscillatory movement of the armature 33,which oscillatorymovement is transmitted into a. vibratory movement ofthe diaphragm 34'causingan audible signal to be given indicating to theoperator of the automobile that a miss in the successive firing of theinternal cOInbuS tion engine has occurred. Due to the sudden decrease inpressure within the chamber 17, a corresponding"suddemdecrease'ofpressure (within pressurewpipe 44 occurs in which "instance "theindicator hand '54 is moved ln acounterclockwise direction, therebyuncovering the indicator hand -55 which is preferabl of acontrastingcolor tothat excessive firing of the cylinder has occurred.Should it be desired to test'the intake manifold 6 fora continuity ofpressure to determine whether or not the engine is operating in a normalmanner, the valve 9 is closed, thereby severing communication betweenthe exhaust manifold 5 and the chamber 17 whereupon the valve 9 carriedby the pipe 8 is opened to establish communication between the intakemanifold 6 and chamber 7 8 and the valve 46 is then moved to the pozoosition shown in Fig. 1. As a result of the suction set up within themanifold 6 during the passage of the gaseous fuel into the cylinders atendency toward the creation of a partial vacuum within the chamber 18is brought about. As a result of the partial vacuum thus formed withinthe chamber 18 the pressure within the chamber and pressure pipe -.44 isnecessarily reduced below that of atmospheric or normal in whichinstance the indicator hand 54 is moved from zero in a counterclockwisedirection, assuming a position corresponding to the intensity 1 of thepartial vacuum-within'the chamber j 18. Should an intakevalve'fail tooperate or become stuck so as to maintain communication at all timesbetween its corresponding cylinder and the manifold 6 the pressurewithin the chamber 18 will periodically approach or tend to approachthat ofatmospheric, thereb setting up a fluctuation of the indicator and54 on the scale 48 indlcating tothe operator the abnormal condition ofthe valve or valve operating mechanism of the engine. As a result of theinstantaneous building up of ressure within the chamber 18 on one side 0the diaphragm 20, the contact point 22 carried by the diaphragm is movedinto engagement with its cooperative thumb-screw 23, thereby com pletingthe circuitthrough the electro-magnets 30, imparting to the operator, ashereinbefore described,by means of an audible signal that an abnormalcondition exists.

which abnormal condition relates to the a operative elements.

function of the intake manifold or its co- The valve 10 carried by thepipe 7 is intended to relieve any excessive pressure set upwithin thechamber 17 and its operation is apparent in thatthe plunger 11 is liftedeithera test is being conducted in connection with the exhaust manifoldor intake 'mani: fo1d-,'the electrical circuit may be severed by meansof'the manually operated switches 28 *Injthe abovedescribed operation ofthe device I have elaborated upon the operation of the device under onlytwo conditions, one being inconnection with the exhaust manifold when amiss in the successive firing occurs and the other being in connectionwith the intake manifold when a valve is stuck to maintain at all timescommunication between its corresponding cylinder and the intakemanifold, but by aid of the device embodying my invention andhereinbefore described many other analogous faults or impaired operationof the engine with which the device is adapted to be used may bedetected, as for example, the sticking of an exhaust valve, the chokingof the muffler or exhaust pipe or clogging of the intake manifold, etc.

I have shown no specific location on the device, when used in connectionwith an automobile but it is to be understood that the several elementscomprising the inven tion may be located at any proper or convenientposition, for example, the indicator 45 may be located on'the instrumentboard part of the automobile and thecasing 12 suitably located under thecowl, and it is to y be further understood that the form of my inventionherewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example'ofthe same, and that various changes in the shape,

size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure and f protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

' 1. The combination with the intake and exhaust manifolds of aninternal combustion engine, of a signal having a pair of hands adaptedto be moved simultaneously in a given direction, means for communicatinpressure from said exhaust manifold to said signal whereby said handsare moved simultaneously in a clockwise direction, means forcommunicating pressure from said intake manifold whereby said hands aremoved in an anticlockwise direction, means for severing connectionbetween the exhaust manifold and the signal and simultaneouslyestablishing communication between the intake manifold and signal.

2. The combination with the intake and exhaust manifolds of an internalcombustion engine,of a signal having a pair of hands adapted to be movedsimultaneously in a given direction, means for communicating pressurefrom said exhaust manifold to said signal whereby said hands are movedtaneously establishing communication besimultaneous'ly in a clockwisedirection, tween the intake manifold and signal, and means forcommunicating pressure from said means for relieving excessive pressurefrom 10 intake manifold whereby said hands are said meansfor'communicating pressure from moved in an anti-clockwise direction,means said exhaust manifold to said signal.

for severing connection between the exhaust manifold and the signal andsimul- RALPH L. SKINNER.

